Motorola and Verizon Wireless team for Droid “iPhone killer”

Motorola released the Cliq today but most people aren’t going to confuse it with a true iPhone killer. Its second Android device, however, the Droid running on Verizon Wireless’ network, is getting that kind of buzz.

The Boy Genius Report has gotten a look at the phone and it looks like a doozy. I’ll get to the specs in a second but observers seem to think this is the first Android phone that can really take it to the iPhone.

Verizon Wireless is obviously geeked out on the Droid and is running a marketing campaign with a video that highlights all the ways the Droid trumps the iPhone: physical keyboard, multi-tasking, open developement, exchangeable battery. etc.

This is the challenge that Android is presenting to the iPhone. Google’s operating system by itself is not going to beat the iPhone OS. But when manufacturers like Motorola, HTC and others really start cranking on the platform and put a lot of resources behind their efforts, you see a quick ramp up in the quality of the devices coming out.

And now that Verizon Wireless is getting into the Android game, it presents an even bigger test because it’s got the best network in the U.S. This might be the way for Verizon to get Apple to drop its exclusivity with AT&T, by showing off some great iPhone competitors running on its network.

Anyway, here are some still unconfirmed details on Droid, which appears headed for an Oct. 30 release.